Consumer coupons are a popular way for consumers to lower shopping costs. Coupons are commonly available in hard copy, for example, through newspapers, through the mail and in supermarket flyers. Many consumers make it a habit to cut out coupons and take the coupons with them when they shop. Hard copy coupons are typically fixed value coupons that cannot be changed.
Another way to distribute consumer coupons is through the Internet. Using the Internet, a greater variety of coupons may be available to consumers. Data mining and other techniques may provide a way to direct specific coupons to specific customers based on customer profiles and buying habits.